RE: The Catcher in the Rye Chapter 25 Questions
- How does Holden help the two kids at the museum? What is symbolic about the meeting? What is ironic?
- Explain two examples of Holden’s accepting reality in this chapter.
- What does Phoebe wanting to go away with Holden do for him? How does Phoebe force Holden to accept responsibility?
- What is symbolic and ironic about Phoebe’s role in the school play?
- What is the significance of Phoebe’s riding the carousel and reaching for the gold ring?
- How is Holden’s hunting hat symbolic in this chapter?
What does Phoebe wanting to go away with Holden do for him? How does Phoebe force Holden to accept responsibility?
When Phoebe arrives, she proves her love for Holden. She is twenty minutes late for their meeting because she has gone home and packed her suitcase. She announces to her brother her plan to accompany him out west. Holden scolds her harshly, partly because he is shocked and partly because he is still a little sick. Instantly he is sorry for his harshness; he decides to make it up to her by taking her to the zoo and carousel in Central Park and promising her that he will not go away. The action of the novel ends with Holden watching his beloved sister ride round and round on the carousel; it is the symbol of his spinning world.
